Rykov: industrial injuries are the main reasons of blindness

Author: Anna Kalenska

Photo: InterMedia consulting

Reasons of injury rate in 62% are industrial injuries, in 23% - domestic, in 13% – injuries in childhood.

"It means that the main reasons of eyesight disability in our country are injuries, said Serhiy Rykov, Chief Ophthalmologist of MHU. - In foreign countries the main reasons of blindness are tumours of eyes. Such indexes are not available in any country of the world."

Epidemiology researches conducted in 2007 by the Main research institute of medical-social problems of disability, revealed that the main reasons of blind disability were glaucoma - 20%, pathology of eyeground - 15%, myopia - 12,5%, congenital disorders - 7,3%. Disability for adults in 40% is conditioned progress by the disease of eyes, innate or purchased in childhood.

"Particular anxiety is caused by the decline of eyesight in children. Indices dynamics of eye disease prevalence in children aged 0 to 14 from 2007 years has grown by 35.8%, and the disease incidence by 9.9%. Blindness of a child is not the tragedy of a family only, this is also charges of the state for his social maintenance, education, adaptations in the society, financial providing on disability, creation of the special conditions for job placement," - considers Rykov.

With the purpose of early recognition and effective rehabilitation he first educational-training centre is being set up in Ukraine on the base of the Kyiv Centre of Microsurgery of Eye, where two conferences and six trainings have been already held for doctors and teachers. For the treatment-diagnostic work the Centre uses the present equipment of the hospital at the present moment, but it needs substantial additional equipment.

Source: InterMedia consulting